Olympics-Cycling-Dutch and Italians to threaten British track dominance

By Martyn Herman

PARIS (Reuters) - The world's track cycling superpowers will do battle on the boards of the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines velodrome from Monday with Britain's domination of the events under serious threat.

Britain have topped the medals table in every Olympic velodrome since Beijing in 2008, thanks to the biggest budget, the best kit and some generational riders, but their grip is weakening and arrive in Paris without several champions.

It should make for a fascinating seven days with Italy, the Netherlands and France amongst the nations vying to knock Britain off their perch.

Nothing encapsulates an Olympic track cycling programme quite like team pursuit - the compelling endurance discipline in which Britain will hope to re-assert their dominance.

That will be a huge challenge though with the Italian quartet of Filippo Ganna, Jonathan Milan, Simone Consonni and Francesco Lamon favourites to retain the title in the event, having won in spectacular fashion in Tokyo where they broke the world record three times en route to gold.

"We already are super motivated to defend what we achieved in Tokyo," Milan said.

Britain, who won seven track medals in Tokyo to the six of the Netherlands, do not have the star quality that the likes of Bradley Wiggins, Mark Cavendish and Ed Clancy once brought, but they may have a secret weapon in Dan Bigham.

He combines being a world class track cyclist with being an aerodynamics/performance engineer for road team Ineos Grenadiers and after working as an adviser for runners-up Denmark in Tokyo, will hope to mastermind Britain's team from the saddle.

'EVERYONE'S BEATABLE'

Italy also boast a formidable women's squad including Elisa Balsamo as they target a team pursuit golden double.

"I think the top four in the women's team pursuit are going to be a combination of Britain, Italy, New Zealand, and France," Britain's two-time time pursuit Olympic champion Joanna Rowsell, who will be a pundit for Eurosport, said in the build-up.

"Italy are a team that I always really enjoy watching race, they seem to be able to raise their game in a final situation."

Britain arrive as reigning world champions but missing team leader Katie Archibald, a team pursuit and Madison Olympic champion, whose bid for three endurance medals in Paris was ended by a freak garden accident. They are also without retired five-time Olympic champion Laura Kenny.

In the sprints, Dutchman Harrie Lavreysen has proven almost unbeatable since winning individual and team gold in Tokyo.

The 27-year-old is a 13-time world champion across the sprint disciplines and no one would be surprised if he left Paris with three golds, including in the keirin which eluded him in Tokyo after he was ambushed in the final by British sprint great Jason Kenny, who is also now retired.

The sprints are often decided by the width of a tyre though and Britain's Jack Carlin, who took bronze in the sprint in Tokyo and who is now coached by Kenny, said there was hope.

"Everyone's beatable," he said. "Even the best make mistakes."

Action starts on Monday with the first of 12 gold medals up for grabs with Britain's Games debutant Emma Finucane looking to lay down an early marker in the team sprint, a year after winning the sprint at the Glasgow world championships.

(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Alison Williams)